People say, Don`t  eat after 7 p.m.  In fact, if your total calorie intake for the day is greater than what you are burning, this can lead to weight gain.  If you eat healthy food, regular meals throughout the day, there's no reason to panic.

Recent studies have pointed out that intermittent feeding (large meals followed by long periods of fasting) is beneficial to maintain lean body weight and insulin sensitivity. From a medical perspective, another recent study even suggested that eating two larger meals a day would be more more effective than six smaller meals for patients with type 2 diabetes.

Based on these studies, snacking would be deleterious because it would prevent extended periods of fasting. To my knowledge, there are no studies really proving this point, but we could speculate that since dinner to breakfast is the longest fasting period of a day, a night snack would be the worst.

http://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/abstract/S1550-4131%2814%2900498-7

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00125-014-3253-5

Bon début. Espère que nous aurons plus de réponses ..

It´s less a matter of time, it´s a matter of balance of needed and consumed calories. Not the timing is the problem, the additional "hunger" is the wrongdoer. But there is one first important exception. If you suffer from reflux from your stomach, the horizontal position in your bed will produce problems, if you fill your stomach to late. And the second exception is a problem of hygienics in your mouth. After having cleaned your teeth, you should not consume any food.

I remember some Asian Monks who say: "Never eat after 9:00 pm". Who knows (I am not a specilaist), probably they are right!

I do not like to think of calories as being able to contribute to weight gaining. If calories in - calories out make sense or not is a big discussion. I would not eat in the evening or not at all icecreams, milk, softdrinks or kind of refined carbohydrates. I would not worried about eating fat, meat and vegetables. Even though Kamal's opinion above was too funny and I would like to reproduce it as a funny joke, I would eat up 80% of what I needed to be full at all times. 

Just follow Nature - daytime animals cannot hunt in darkness, so - they do not eat at night. 

My wife and kids say to me very often Do NOT eat so late in the night. Please, eat five times a day! I do like late night snack and it has very bad impact on my weight! It gained! True!!  :(

I cannot - for whatever reasons - eat in the mornings. Even the smell of food makes me sick. So, I start my days with one cup of black espresso and and a nice mug of black tea without sugar. That does me until noon or later, when I start having a brunch. On most days this is the only real meal I have.

I appreciate the information on GORD/GERD (reflux symptoms) mentioned above. I absolutely agree with the idea not eat too late before sleeping. Since I rarely go to sleep before midnight, I think 9 pm would be a safe time to have a small dinner (@Demetris. your monks should be sleeping at 9 pm already ;)).  

Moines manger pour vivre. Beaucoup de gens vivent pour manger. Ce est la différence.

I agree with Kamal that this is the true matter! 

But we the Greeks thing that all these are some kind of conspiracy agains the Greek way of life!

Well our friends do not hear the western truth! Dring late night as much as you can, as much as you are in a position to discuss philosophical questions!

Dear Michael,

I have a good idea to change your eating timing. Just try to do some sports like jogging, muscle training etc after rising up in the morning, which really exhaustes you. You will certainly be grateful for a breakfast immediately after finish your exercises. ;-)

La vie est un sport. Faites que ça compte. Mangez avec diligence.

I don´t want to disturb your principles. cher ami  Sundarapandian, I like to eat with appetite, fun ad primarily TASTE. Je mange avec plaisir.

Dear Sundarapandian, 

I like Kamal"s answer and his sense of humor. Such good advice in the Monday morning while driving to the uni works like fat burner. I"m on constant diet since years and calories hunter. Sometimes icecream in the evening wins. That's reality.

Dear Beata,

the winner is not icecream, the winner is your soul and satisfaction. Enjoy your sins from time to time!

While it is true, dear Beata, that the body never takes a vacation, but merely its owner, and while our dear friend Kamal deftly defines the bodily norm, nevertheless an exceptional non-fulfillment of the norm enriches the individual with a new experience (Ortega  Gasset). Knowing his mastery of the body causes him to renew his resolution to adhere once again to the norm of abstention. The flavor of icecream improves at 8 P.M. if prohibited.  Costas knows Aristotle's lesson, "Of nothing too much."  Too much freedom is perverse, but too harsh a prohibition is distasteful.  

Late night eating appears to be not OK as the calories intake at times when we are not active and not burning up much energy, we are likely to gain weight and related health problems. During the day, when we're more active, our metabolisms are more fully on and therefore able to process energy more efficiently. However, some studies have suggested that eating at night, if done healthily, can offer some benefits. Eating the right protein at night can help you build muscle while you sleep. Eating low glycemic carbs at night can help control blood sugar the next day and even help regulate appetite.

Yes, light dinner is always advisable. Also, it is better to take dinner at least 2 or 3 hours before sleep for proper digestion of food. Fruits also help us.

Some friends sit to watch late night sports / comedy shows on TV. This is OK but sit with a big bag of popcorn or potato chips and take a lot of soda drinks,which have lot of sugar in it. I advise them to take green / lemon tea with less or no sugar, and they reply, "thanks for the kind suggestion".

Snacking late into the night may be worse for people than eating earlier in the day. The study on mice reported that the ability to regulate mice's blood sugar varied throughout the day. In addition, disrupting their circadian clock, which signals sleep and wakefulness among other things to the body, caused them to put on more fat. The findings could explain why night-shift workers are more prone to diabetes and obesity. Other studies have shown that humans have daily rhythms in their blood glucose, even with constant sugar infusion and insulin sensitivity waxed and waned throughout the day. Disturbing biological clock of eating leads to a disruption of metabolism such that there's more of a tendency to put on fat, even with the same amount of caloric intake or diet. So it is not only what you eat but also when you eat, that's important.

Dear @Hanno,  oh yes, sometimes sins are so pleasurable, tasty and unhealthy. Then come the diets and bike as penance :-)

Dear @Nelson, I like the lesson by Ortega, showing new quality of human experience, what is true indeed and close to creative solutions. After evening ice cream we are satisfied but get fat as result. Great philosopher Aristotles, you cited was closer to clinical norms with famous "too much". I agree with your conclusion about extreme deviations form moderation. It can be perverse or distasteful. Well said., dear @Nelson. 

No dear Beata,

if your mind is pleasured, the snack isn´t unhealthy at all.

Look at the figures:

;-(( no snack, so healthy??

;-)) snack, totally unhealthy??

We are not only primary metabolism in intestinum, we also have a psychological and mental processing.

Nice interpretation, @dear Hanno.

I can agree about psychological and mental processing. We have sense of emotions, feelings, intellect and spirituality as well not only carnality. I agree. We need sensual pleasures, as for ex. good French cuisine or any other tasty. to be happy.

But If we are so able to transform  psychologically things of our wellbeing  why all mirrors in boutiques with clothes show us the more overweight than the mirrors at home? Have you experienced such visual discomfort ? 

Dear Beata,

I´ve problems to reduce over weight simply to  too much food. Of course it´s also a matter of movement, sports, relaxation, job, stress, ... (and microbes in intestinum, genetic disposition, hormones, age).

I know a lot of people (my own daughter is such a case) who are skinny but not happy. Did you ever analyse the task of body fat for the working hormon status of women? Do you adore these wiry half male sportive girls. Do you think they are happy with their outfit?

My balance: The late night snack is not bad for your health, the whole day balance must be considerated.

Dear Hanno, 

Yes, Im aware of the physiology of us, females in different ages and endocrinlogical  changes and influences. Of course our (feminine) general happiness is relative and weight is just one side of our wellbeing. I agree with your conclusion, that total amount of calories and it's right balance  are essential for 24h. Also important is some discipline of mind :-) 

To leave the tiny terror of modern times, have a look at Rubens or Nana plastiques or visit the antique sculptures.